Mexican team hungry for wins at World Cup

Turmoil shadows promising team, hungry to win

Striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez hasn't scored a goal for the national team since last summer.

Striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez hasn't scored a goal for the national team since last summer.

Photo: Yuri Cortez, AFP/Getty Images

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A fan takes a picture with defender Rafael Marquez, who is returning as Mexico's captain.

A fan takes a picture with defender Rafael Marquez, who is returning as Mexico's captain.

Photo: Eduardo Verdugo, Associated Press

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A devotee puts his hand up to the glass case enshrining a statue of the Santo Nino, (Child Jesus) dressed in a miniature replica of the Mexican national team 2014 World Cup kit, at the San Gabriel Archangel church in Mexico City, Saturday, May 31, 2014. Mexico starts the 2014 World Cup against Cameroon on June 13 in Natal, Brazil. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) less

A devotee puts his hand up to the glass case enshrining a statue of the Santo Nino, (Child Jesus) dressed in a miniature replica of the Mexican national team 2014 World Cup kit, at the San Gabriel Archangel ... more

Photo: Marco Ugarte, Associated Press

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A woman waves to photographers as she watches the training session of Mexico's national soccer team from her house, where she placed a sign that reads in Spanish: "welcome Mexico," in Santos, Brazil, Sunday, June 8, 2014. Mexico plays in group A of the 2014 soccer World Cup. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) less

A woman waves to photographers as she watches the training session of Mexico's national soccer team from her house, where she placed a sign that reads in Spanish: "welcome Mexico," in Santos, Brazil, Sunday, ... more

Photo: Eduardo Verdugo, Associated Press

Mexican team hungry for wins at World Cup

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Though the United States faces a tough struggle to get out of its group at the World Cup, the team that sells the most jerseys in this country would seem to have a much better chance of moving into the second round.

That would be El Tri, Mexico's pride and joy. No soccer team, including the Americans, draws sellouts at games in the U.S. as consistently as Mexico.

But Mexico has hit a scoring drought of late, and the team's famed "Chicharito" - striker Javier Hernandez - hasn't scored for the national team since last summer. He was on the bench for the start of a 1-0 loss to Portugal in the final warm-up match.

If Mexico does well in Brazil, though, it will be remarkable inasmuch as the team qualified by the skin of its teeth.

The key match for the Mexicans in Group A is likely to be their first-round finale against Croatia. Host Brazil should be unbeatable in group play, but Cameroon is mediocre and Croatia is vulnerable, too. Mexico opens against Cameroon on Friday.

Mexico, currently ranked 20th in the world by FIFA, has made every World Cup since 1994 and is the only team other than Brazil and Germany to make it out of the group stage every time during that span. Unlike those two heavyweights, though, Mexico hasn't made it out of the Round of 16 during that time. Its best finishes were the quarterfinals in 1970 and '86, both of which were held in Mexico.

Mexico's chances for this World Cup were already in peril before a revolving door of four head coaches in six weeks. Jose Manuel "Chepo" de la Torre was sacked Sept. 7 after an embarrassing loss to Honduras, giving Mexico only one win in seven World Cup qualifiers under his guidance. The team was clearly underperforming.

His replacement, Luis Fernando Tena, lasted all of one match, a 2-0 loss to the U.S., before he was replaced by Víctor Manuel Vucetich. He was known as King Midas for winning 13 titles with Mexican clubs, but the touch deserted Vucetich when, in his second game, the team lost to Costa Rica.

His firing Oct. 17 brought in 46-year-old Miguel Herrera, a 5-foot-6 fireplug who as a player was such a zealous and annoying defender that he was nicknamed "El Piojo" (which means the louse or flea).

He guided the team through two playoff victories over New Zealand that produced the World Cup berth. The Mexicans were fortunate to get to that series. Despite its struggles, Mexico got into the playoff because the United States pulled out a dramatic victory over Panama in the final round.

Panama, with a 2-1 lead on a rainy October night in Panama City, was about 90 seconds from winning and eliminating Mexico before Graham Zusi scored in stoppage time to tie it. Aron Johannsson scored his first international goal a little more than a minute later to win it.

The outcome was worth an estimated $1 billion to Mexico in TV rights and marketing profits, depending on how far it gets in the World Cup. Much of that revenue is generated in the U.S., where there are about 40 million people with Mexican roots.

On paper, Mexico should have plenty of firepower in Brazil. Hernandez, 26, who plays for Manchester United in the English Premier League, has 35 goals in 61 games for his country. He might not even start this time.

Striker Oribe Peralta was the star of Mexico's gold-medal performance in the 2012 London Olympics. He recently was sold by the Mexican club Santos Laguna to Club America for a record $10 million.

The great Cuauhtémoc Blanco, who scored in the past three World Cup tournaments, is done at 41. He made his farewell appearance with the national team in a friendly against Israel. Nor will Mexico have Carlos Vela, possibly the country's best player. The touchy forward, who plays for the Spanish club Real Sociedad, has turned down repeated invitations to join the national team since 2011.

Mexico will rely heavily on two other European-based players, defender Andres Guardado and forward Giovani dos Santos. Defender Rafael Marquez, whose career was rejuvenated in Mexico's Liga MX after two bad years in Major League Soccer, will captain the side for a fourth World Cup.

Mexico will be without key midfielder Luis Montes, who broke his leg in the friendly against Ecuador. Herrera has yet to decide between Jesus Corona and Guillermo Ochoa as his starting goalkeeper.

The team should advance from group play, but it's unlikely - again - that it will advance past the Round of 16.

Wednesday's section

Expanded World Cup preview breaking down the groups, the players and the U.S. team.